The establishment needs to STEP OFF!

Amy had a really great presentation today about teens and blogging. It actually got me thinking. And I've come to a conclusion. The establishment needs to shut the hell up and get out my bidniss! What I want to do with my free time is up to me. Your school is just an establishment of education. They shouldn't have any kind of authority over students when they're not at school. Sure, if students are committing crimes during school or on school premises, then you should get in trouble. But when I'm not at school, my life's got nothing to do with teachers or principals. I hear about kids getting in trouble for stuff they put on facebook. I've never actually heard of Mizzou students getting in real trouble, so who knows. But nevertheless, there seems to be some danger about what you can post on the internet. It is really holding back the potential of these internet communities. IT SUCKS! I'd love to read about my friend's narrow escape from the law or see pictures of kids rushing the field, but no. Big Brother is on facebook, and kids are too scared to post the good stuff. Seriously, it's just kids being kids. And it's not like the crimes shown can be prevented, it's already over with. Just face facts, Mr. Police-man, I drank and stormed Faurot Field, and got away with it. Just take the loss and move on. You know, even now, I could be taking a risk putting this out on the web for the general public to read. But your facebook or myspace profile or a personal blog is your personal property, with which I have a right to privacy and to do with what I will, and schools need to respect that. Well it hasn't lashed out against me personally, and kids who post pictures of themselves bonging beers or chugging a big bottle of liquor look like TOTAL TOOLS anyway (We get it, you party. Stop trying so hard, D-bag), but it really is the principle of the matter. It's like, you're my teacher, not my mom or the police. So piss off, I'm not a threat to your school. Internet posts don't reflect the quality of a school's education. I'm sure a parent will look at facebook profiles of Mizzou students and say, "Oh no, I'm not sending my kid there." Yeah freakin' right. Number one, cracking down on internet posts showing underage kids drinking or talking about parties has NO effect on the actual occurance of underage drinking. Number two, Mizzou is a school. They shouldn't feel the need to enforce the laws and punish their students for breaking them. We already have a system set up for that, it's called the police force. So stop overstepping your boundaries, Mizzou, and try focusing on what you're there for in the first place: education. How about directing some resources away from the Gestapo project, and working to improve the university? You know, lowering tuition maybe or improving the school athletics department, just something that might invite more students to come here. I'm sure this is a typical conversation in the Dean's office.

Advisor: Mr. Dean of Students, there's a huge problem we need to discuss.
Dean: Crap, it's not that whole tuition hike thing again, is it? I'm so sick of these people. Just tell them it's the governor's fault or something.
Advisor: No, no. This is much worse. It seems one of our students became intoxicated this weekend.
Dean: GOOD GOD! How could this have happened? How are you sure?
Advisor: He wrote on a friend's wall on facebook about quote, "How drunk they were."
Dean: You mean someone else was drunk with him??? Quick, get me the MUPD. I'm putting a stop to this right now!
Advisor: Very good, Dean. But I still don't understand how these bright young students lost their way.
Dean: I bet Paige Laurie is somehow behind this.

Now, if the Man can just lighten up, realize that facebook profiles don't really mean anything, and quit trying to kill my buzz, maybe more students can create blogs or personal profiles that really convey how they feel. I, for one, refuse to let the Man dictate my self expression.

So to the authorities investigating me right now, this is me saying, Go Facebook yourself.